Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) on Tuesday called President Donald Trump's decision to fire the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics "dangerous," warning the move risks undermining faith in the government's jobs numbers after a weak July report.
What Happened: "I think people have not absorbed how dangerous it is both to fire the head of BLS and then what? Put in some sycophant who's going to give data that makes the president happy? And, when that happens, who believes the data?" Warren told CNBC.
Her remarks came days after Trump ordered the dismissal of BLS Commissioner Erika McEntarfer following a report that showed 73,000 jobs added in July and steep downward revisions to prior months. Trump has since said the figures were "rigged" and that he would soon announce an "exceptional replacement."
Warren argued that the integrity of federal statistics is foundational for policy and business planning. "Don't call it rigged. You get bad data. You kill the messenger, right? That's Donald Trump. Because he thinks he can bend reality. And he can just tell a different story, then everyone will have to believe his story," she said.
She also posted on X, saying, "Donald Trump fired the head of the nonpartisan Bureau of Labor Statistics because they reported bad jobs data he didn't like… This is dangerous for our economy."
Why It Matters: Republicans and the White House defended the dismissal, saying leadership changes are warranted to restore confidence in jobs data. A senior official told Reuters the move would ensure "more reliable figures," while former White House economist Kevin Hassett said putting Trump's own people in charge would deliver "more transparent and reliable" reports.
As per an Associated Press report, some conservatives also argued large recent revisions show the system needs reform, even as economists note such revisions are routine.
Nonpartisan analysts warn that the shake-up could erode trust in U.S. statistics. Experts tell AP that the BLS faces structural challenges like budget constraints and falling survey response rates, but that politicizing the agency won't fix them.
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) over the weekend criticized Trump's response as "petulant" after stating that he believes it’s “almost impossible” to rig the numbers.
Photo: Maverick Pictures via Shutterstock
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